Schwab: Adduci turning attention to college hoops future

Dom Adduci plans to watch the game film from the St. Charles East boys basketball team’s season-ending loss to South Elgin – eventually.

For now – less than three weeks after the Saints fell in the IHSA Class 4A St. Charles North Regional championship game March 7 – Adduci isn’t ready to put himself through it.

“I have not watched it,” Adduci said. “I probably will, but it’s too close to the end of the high school season. I followed the high school state tournament [in Peoria]. It’s going to take me a while, but I’m definitely going to get around to it.”

The loss was especially painful for the standout senior guard both because East led for much of the game, and the Saints were dealt some potentially good fortune when upstart South Elgin upset top-seeded Larkin earlier in the week.

The Storm went on to win a sectional semifinal before falling in the sectional championship game to Rockford Auburn.

“I believe our team could have went a lot further,” Adduci said. “We didn’t have our best game that last game against South Elgin, but at the same time when I look back at all the memories I have with the great coaching staff and great program we have at St. Charles, it’s just been a blessing to me, and something I really appreciate.”

A First Team Kane County Chronicle All-Area selection, Adduci averaged 19.2 points a game during an impressive senior season that lost steam late as a pair of minor injuries limited his playing time leading up to regionals.

With a strong, three-year run at East in the books – Adduci transferred from Wheaton Academy after his freshman year – the explosive, 6-foot guard turns his attention to his college basketball prospects.

Adduci would love to wind up playing Division I basketball, and has upcoming visits planned to Drake and California-Davis. He also is receiving interest from several D-II programs, and said he’d be open to going that route if it ends up being the best fit.

He’d like to decide relatively soon, possibly in April.

“It’s stressful because it’s narrowing down here to the end but it’s also exciting because after the season, recruiting picks up a little bit, and for me it definitely has picked up,” Adduci said. “It’s exciting, but at the same time it’s stressful. It’ll be over in a couple months, and it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience you can have.”

Regardless of which school he picks, Adduci anticipates returning to more of a pure point guard role in college, which he said is his preference. In his past two seasons with the Saints, Adduci frequently played off the ball in more of a scoring-guard role as he shared the backcourt with another skilled natural point guard, Cole Gentry.

Gentry projects to headline the 2014-15 Saints as East moves on without Adduci, dynamic forward AJ Washington and the other seniors who helped East to an 18-12 season.

Adduci expressed confidence the Saints’ program will remain on solid footing in his absence.

“Coach [Pat] Woods and [assistant coach Everette Stephens], they’re great at getting guys ready for the season, and after our last game, I just got a good vibe from everyone on the team that they were going to work hard and dedicate themselves to the offseason, which is something as a program you want to see moving forward,” Adduci said. “Even me being a senior, that’s something I was excited about because I know East basketball will be in a good place going forward.”

• Jay Schwab is sports editor of the Kane County Chronicle. He can be reached at 630-845-5382 or jschwab@shawmedia.com.